


Shut Up and Dance, Stupid

by Charonte_Queen



Series: Arya/Gendry One-Shots [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, fluff and cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 08:32:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3643629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charonte_Queen/pseuds/Charonte_Queen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>just a cute one shot I thought of while listening to the radio</p>
<p>"Gendry hadn't planned on going to a wedding..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shut Up and Dance, Stupid

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by " Shut Up and Dance " by Walk the Moon

Gendry pulled at his tie for the tenth time in the last half hour and ran a hand through his inky black hair. He hadn't planned on coming to a wedding but Arya had insisted. Gendry had never been able to resist his wild wolf very well when she insisted. Arya hadn't wanted to come either, he knew, but her father had told her that she had to come because she was a Stark and he had already sent an RSVP for all the Starks. Arya had given him the cold shoulder until Ned had promised his daughter that she could bring a friend and called Robert to amend the guest list to include a plus one.

So that's how Gendry ended up roped into going to the union of Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell. Gendry wasn't exactly looking forward to it, as he'd never been to a wedding before. Everyone seemed to make quite a big deal about it but Gendry didn't see why. From what Arya had told him about weddings, the only fun to be had at one was at the reception. That was when everyone started dancing and getting drunk. Gendry had never been much of a dancer but he'd seen Arya dance. She was graceful and fierce, beautiful and powerful. Gendry was a clumsy oaf with two left feet in comparison.

He fidgeted with his tie again before knocking on the Stark's front door. It wasn't long till it opened, revealing one of Arya's brothers. He was tall, only slightly shorter than Gendry, with blue eyes and wavy auburn hair. He didn't at all look like Arya. Gendry shifted from foot to foot as Arya's brother gave him the evil eye and looked him up and down. Gendry knew what this brother must think. Gendry wasn't at all what he must've expected, seeing as he was five years Arya's senior.

Eventually he moved aside as Arya had barreled past him, grabbed Gendry's wrist and dragged him inside the large home. The brother closed the door behind them rather roughly and Gendry couldn't help but feel slightly trapped.

Arya looked beyond beautiful. Her hair, once cut short, had grown to about her shoulders and the side of her head that had been shaved awhile back had started to grow out as well, the furthest hair barely brushing the top of her left ear. All of it was pulled half up in an intricate set of braids. She was wearing her wolf ear cuff. It was silver and looked as though the miniature wolf was trying to take a chunk out of her ear (Gendry had bought it for her on her sixteenth birthday a couple months ago). Her dress, a rarity to catch Arya in, was a deep purple, the torso covered in black patterned lace. She wore black wedged shoes so as the top of her head might reach Gendry's shoulders.

Gendry could feel his neck start to heat up and felt his eyes widen. Arya noticed too, as she gave a toothy smile. Her brother, who stood beside her now, also hadn't failed to notice, much to Gendry's embarrassment. The brother's eyes narrowed and he coughed. Arya jumped right back into action and hit her brother upside the head.

"This is Robb. Robb, this is my friend Gendry," Arya introduced, though Robb did not seem to appreciate the introduction if his handshake was anything to go by. It had been a squeezing, almost hand-breaking handshake. Compared to Arya's (which had bruised his hand), this was nothing.

As Robb tried his best to break all of Gendry's fingers, two women entered from another room behind Robb. One was a middle-aged woman, with the same auburn hair and blue eyes as Robb though her hair was beginning to gray and there were crows feet at the corners of her eyes. Gendry knew this must be Mrs. Stark. The other woman, who looked only a few years older than Arya, looked remarkably like her mother. None looked like Arya at all, not like Gendry had imagined they might.

They smiled upon seeing a guest, though Gendry suspected they were only being polite. Arya's sister practically floated over, sweeping past Robb and stealing Gendry's hand. Her hold was much more dainty than Robb's or Arya's, like a fragile doll's hand. "Sansa. You must be Arya's friend. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Gendry. Nice to meet you too," Gendry fumbled with his words, feeling his neck burn with embarrassment. Sansa was one of the prettiest women to give him any attention and he was very uncomfortable as he shook her hand, feeling as though he might break her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell Arya was glaring daggers at Sansa as Robb directed his own glaring eyes at Gendry.

Sansa’s hold on his hand quickly vanished and was replaced with an older hand equally as delicate, if not more so. "Catelyn Stark, Gendry. Arya speaks of you often, though I must admit you aren't quite what I expected."

You all aren't what I was expecting either, Gendry thought. Arya snorted with laughter and Gendry flushed. He must've spoken out loud. At the remark, Robb had let up on the glaring and gave a smirk. Sansa rose a hand to cover her mouth as she giggled. Mrs. Stark's mouth quirked upward, almost smiling.

Stomping on the stairs brought their attention elsewhere and Gendry was quickly introduced to Arya's younger brothers Bran and Rickon--again looking nothing like Arya--before setting off. Mrs. Stark told Gendry that Mr. Stark was on "Robert duty", which was to keep Mr. Baratheon from drinking anything alcoholic-wise until dinner. The last of the Stark clan, Jon, was with Mr. Stark as he wanted to stay out of Catelyn’s way as they all got ready.

Arya had already explained the situation of Jon to Gendry, and although he had not yet met Jon, Gendry felt a kinship with him. Gendry never knew his father as Jon had never known his mother. Arya had told Gendry that her parents hadn't been in love yet, as it was an arranged marriage and neither of her parents were keen on the idea, when Jon had been conceived and born. Her father had immediately felt guilty but when Jon's mother had passed during childbirth, he had taken custody of the boy and raised him along side his half-siblings. Gendry could understand why Catelyn wasn't all that fond of Jon but he found it a little silly that she still hadn't come to love him. According to Arya, Jon was an amazing person who planned on joining the military after another summer with his family. He also happened to be her favorite brother.

With everyone now ready or already gone, everyone was ushered out to the cars. Gendry ended up driving behind Mrs. Stark with Arya in his car. She had, with Sansa's help, talked her mother into riding there with him instead of the family. Surprised but grateful of her sister's persuasive words, Arya had sauntered happily to Gendry's old jeep and hopped in the passenger seat.

Arya hummed along to the radio until they arrived at the Church of Baelor, where Arya flew out of the car before Gendry had the chance to park properly. Once he killed the engine he hurried to join her climbing the steps. They quickly joined the rest of her family, who were inside greeting and congratulating the families of the bride and groom. Gendry was quick to notice a stoic man who looked strikingly more like Arya than Gendry envisioned. The same gray eyes stared at him, cutting right through to his soul, seeing and accepting all his flaws. It could only be her father judging by the gray in his hair and beard. He smiled upon seeing Arya join them.

Lingering behind Mr. Stark and the rest of the family was another, who looked like a younger version of Mr. Stark. This must be Jon. Gendry made his way towards him.

"I'm Gendry. Arya's friend," he introduced. Jon looked him over but didn't seem to go into protective brother mode as he introduced himself.

"Jon." His voice was, however, cold as steel despite the relaxed demeanor he was holding himself with. Gendry decided not to continue any conversation with him till Arya was around. Because despite not seeming to go into protective brother mode, Jon had still managed to give off the same message with just his name.

Arya seemed to materialize by his side, smiling widely. "C'mon, stupids, it's time to take our seats."

-o-

The ceremony had been long and boring and Gendry felt like he was going to fall asleep. Arya and Jon, who he'd been sitting between, kept having to poke him (or hit him in Arya’s case) to keep him awake. The dinner had been filled with exotic foods that Gendry had never seen before and the glasses were filled with Dornish wine.

Speeches were given and toasts were made and conversations were started. Robert Baratheon was already turning very red in the face as he downed his third glass. Gendry had only a few sips of his own, far too nervous under the watchful eyes of Mr. Stark, Robb, Jon, and Bran. In fact, Mr. Stark and his wife were giving him odd looks as they stared at him, which only succeeded in making him more uncomfortable.

Eventually the staring stopped and the watchful eyes of brothers wandered elsewhere as people started drifting to the dance floor.

Gendry remained in his seat, still nursing his first glass of wine, while everyone else had gotten up and wandered off. He wondered why Arya even wanted him here with her. She seemed to be having a good enough time. He watched as she weaved through the people on the dance floor, her youngest brother Rickon laughing along with her as she danced with him. Gendry had never seen a sight quite so wonderful and he suddenly understood why people made such a big fuss about weddings.

A voice brought him out of his musings. "So. You're Arya’s friend." Gendry turned his head to see Jon, Arya's half-brother. "How in the world did she meet you? You're so much older than her."

"A mutual friend. His name's Hot Pie. Well, it's not legally Hot Pie but he won't tell anyone his real name. Anyway, he's actually in one of Arya's classes and they had some kind of project. They were working on it at my apartment one day." Gendry shrugged. It had been about a year and a half ago, not too long after his mum had died of cancer.

"Why were they at your apartment?" Jon questioned. The ice in his voice had left, being replaced by warm, wine induced curiosity.

"Hot Pie lives with me, ever since my mum died. He said it wasn't good for me to be alone or something." Jon only made a grunting noise before stealing Gendry's glass of wine, which was only half gone by now.

When Gendry looked back to the dance floor to try and spot Arya, he saw she was a lot closer than he thought. She grabbed his arms, laughing, and hoisted him out of the chair. She took one of his hands in hers and dragged him onto the dance floor. A slow song had started playing.

Gendry glanced at his feet as Arya placed his hands on her waist and then her own on his shoulders, as she was still too short to reach much further than that without feeling incredibly uncomfortable especially in the restrictions of the dress she was wearing. He thought it looked uncomfortable around the shoulders at the moment. He glanced up at Arya, who was smiling at him. He started to glance back at his seat when Arya gently grabbed his face and forced him to look back at her. His eyes drifted back down to his feet.

"Don't you dare look back at that lonely seat. You looked pathetic over there by the way."

"I'm going to step on you." Gendry bit back. Arya chuckled at that.

"Just keep your eyes on me. I'll guide you."

It wasn't anything complicated and Gendry quickly got into a rhythm so long as he didn't try to watch what his feet were doing. Gendry kept his focus on Arya, on her smile, on the way her hands gripped his shoulders.

"You're holding back. I've seen you dance much better than this. Don't want to teach me your secrets eh?" Gendry smiled at her. It was the first time he'd relaxed that night. He found he enjoyed the night much more when Arya was with him.

She laughed at him and smacked his shoulder. "Shut up and dance with me, stupid."

The song had changed to a much more upbeat one but Gendry didn't move away. Arya kept guiding him in the dance despite the change of speed. She'd started humming the other song to keep time. He found it much more beautiful coming from her lips then he had when it came from over the speakers. He found Arya's eyes on his and he suddenly was aware of how close they were. He felt her heat pulsating with his. Before Gendry could think otherwise, he'd captured her mouth with his.

In that moment, time seemed to stop and then flash forward. He could see himself coming home every day to her. He could see them playing with smaller versions of themselves, mixed together in the best of ways. He could see growing old with her. It wasn't for the first time since befriending the wild wolf of a girl that he'd thought about it but it was only now that he'd actually set his heart on it and acted upon it.

Once he pulled away, Arya looked briefly stunned before breaking into a wild grin. "Took you long enough. Stupid."


End file.
